Do Hindus Just Believe In One God.?

Question

After doing much self research, I have concluded that Hindus Only believe in one god. (Bramah AUM).
I'm a hindu myself, honestly I don't pray to hindu gods, i only follow the path of christianity.

BUT,
my parents are strong hindus, they do not know that im in the Christianity path.
My parents pray to loads of gods, not just the ONE god. So does that mean that its a total waste to pray to the other gods, since the rest of hindu's only believe in one god (bramah?) then why bother having so many hindu festivities that celebrate the victory of other gods ? example Ganesh Chadurthiri is celebrated to remark Lord Ganesh, but why bother celebrating it ? Shouldnt there be just one god like what they believe ?

Answer 1

Ramakrishna said there is one mountain and many paths. The one mountain is ultimately advaita vedanta - nondualism, the dissolution of the universe into the Self. Said a different way, it's like when you're in the "zone" and your body tingles as each cell feels wholly connected with the universe around you and you remember that you are truly NOT separate from everything around you, in fact, you are one and the same with all things.
But any path that will lead you to the Truth is a viable path, only arrogance or ignorance will lead one to believe that one path is "better" than another. The path of bhakti, devotion or worship, is but one form of the path with many faces (many of the various gods of hinduism and many forms of Christianity fall within this path). Their is also the path of wisdom, jhani which can lead one to the experience of advaita vedanta. Ultimately, beyond beliefs, concepts, and words, there is the experience of being one with all things, the mystic connection. The experience is key, not the words that people fight and kill over.
So, if celebrating the Elephant god floats your boat and provides the experience of being one with all things, then celerate you should. However, if worshipping Jesus the Christ works for you, then that's what's you should do. It's a very personal thing and there is no "right" way to pursue enlightenment. But, the more you judge others, the more you shall be judged.

Answer 2

You have mentioned that you have done much Self Research. But the question is did you approach Proper Authority for Knowledge or just went about reading whatever any one had to say??

I would invite to please atleast read "Bhagavad Gita As It Is" at
http://www.krishna.com/main.php?id=33

The word for "God" in Vedic Scriptures is Iswara or Controllor. So there can be many controllers, but the supreme Controller is only One. Jesus and Mohammad refer to that Supreme Controller as God or Allah.
Vedic Scriptures describe many Demigods or Angles, but the conclusion is that all these Demigods or Devata's are simply servants of the Supreme Lord. Supreme Lord is Krishna and this is confirmed in Brahma Samhita, Srimad Bhagavatam, Bhagavad Gita and many other vedic Scriptures and by many Vedic Authority. The English word “Christ” actually originates from Latin “Krista” and Sanskrit “Krishna”.

Krishna Clearly states that there is no need to individually worship these Demigods, and one should only surrender to Him.

Its a general tendency in this age that People exhibit atheism by rejecting "one God" and accepting "another God" and then later Reject that and accept another. But this will not help.

Vaisnava Acharya do accept Jesus as proper Authority, but the history have shown that the followers have many times changed the scripture to suit their requirement. So its very difficult to find a proper authority in that.

Fortuantely we still have Vedic Scriptures unmodified, But so many tom dic and harry who have given interpretation without any qualification, thus they have confused every one.
Still Vaisnava Authority have been able to maintain the original explanations and they are present online at Krishna.com. I would hence request you to kindly read through that, atleast for your Parents sake.

Answer 3

My limited understanding of Hiduism is that there is one God who is manifested to people in many different ways, thus leading to the conclusion that there are many Gods. A Catholic-Christian anology is the Trinity---one God manifested as Father, Son, and Spirit.

Answer 4

They celebrate it sorta like the reasons why christians celebrate the birth of jesus, valentines day, st patrick's day, etc etc

Answer 5

its the same for chinese gods, and those pagans etc. they're lost so they keep coming up with many different idols to worship so if 1 works they continue or else move to another pagan idol.

Answer 6

Krishna Jee had clearly told that gods and goddesses (DEVIS & DEVATAS) are worshipped by those who worship their lust. The pure and the pious will never worship the gods and goddesses, instead they will worship Eishwar or the Holy One, alone.

In the Bhagavad-Gita, worship of different demigods or rendering service to them is not approved (by Eishwar). It is stated in the Seventh Chapter, twentieth Verse:

“ Kamais tais tair hrta-jnanah
prapadyante nya-devotah
tam tam niyamam asthaya
prakrtya niyatah svaya”

“Those whose intelligence has been stolen by material desires surrender unto demigods and follow the particular rules and regulations of worship according to their own natures.”

Krishna even discouraged his father Nanda Maharaja from worshipping the demigod Indra, because he wanted to establish THE FACT that people need not to worship any demigod. They need only to worship the Supreme Lord, because their ultimate goal is to return to (Real) God’s abode.”
(Bhagavad-Gita, Introduction, Page 20, 21)

THE SUPREME LORD

Who said in the Godly voice
“I, and I alone, am God
and all other gods
(or goddesses and demigods)
are unreal.”
(Bible Duet. 32:39)

“Worship no god but Me”
(Exodus 20:3)

“Worship no god but Me”,
clearly means that:
“There is no god but Me.”

The same Words has been revealed by the Lord through the Lord’s Revelation, Al-Quran:

“There is no god but Allah
(The One Alone God)”

so, PEACE here in this world and there in the Hereafter, can be ensured through obedience of the Lord, the Holy One alone; in accordance with the Lord’s commandments, given in all the Scriptures, already, possessed by the people of the Scriptures.

Therefore, the Lord of Moses (PBUH) and the Lord of Muhammad (PBUH) and the Lord of Jesus (PBUH) and the Lord of Krishna (PBUH) is the same, Alone Lord who is known as Our God, the One and the Alone and the Absolute Holy.

ABSOLUTE
TRUTH

Jesus had publicly declared that

“No one is good except God alone”.
(Luke 18:19)

And ___ Jesus (PBUH) had always introduced himself, as a servant of the Lord. The Holy One alone.
In Bhagavad-Gita, worship of different demigods8 or rendering service to them, is not approved. It is stated therein.
“Those whose intelligence has been stolen by material desires, surrender unto demigods and follow the particular rules and regulations of worship, according to their own nature”.
(Bhagavad-Gita 7:20)

Worship the One and Alone Lord

“Krishna even discouraged his father Nanda Maharaja from worshipping the demigod Indra because he wanted to establish the fact that people need not to worship any demigod. They need only worship the Supreme Lord, because their ultimate goal is to return to the Supreme Lord’s abode”.
(Bhagavad-Gita, Introduction, page 20, 21)9

It is written in Torah (the Law of Moses) that Jehovah (the Lord, the Holy One) is not like anything. Jehovah is the All-Alone God. All the gods, other than Jehovah, are unreal. To worship someone else beside Jehovah, is to purchase Jehovah’s anger and wrath.
(Ten Commandments)

It was asked from Muhammad (PBUH) that what is really meant by the fate or destiny? He replied that if Allah desires to extend some relief or gain to someone, then, there is no one to restrain it. And___ if Allah desires to extend some grief or loss to someone, then there is also no one to repulse it. No more or no less, is really meant by the fate or destiny. This explanation is positively confirmed by Quran vide chapter 35, Verse 2. Quran says that Allah is the Creator of life and death and the whole universe/cosmos and nothing is alike Allah.

Inspite of these phenomenal facts, the masses have left the Lord, the Holy One and resorted to human beings and demigods. What is the reason thereof?

Answer is very simple that it was Satan, who misled the masses, at massive scale. Satan introduced his own way which is based on the worship of gods/goddesses instead of the Lord, the Holy One.

The masses, on the other hand, are so ignorant that they do not apprehend this particular substitution of Monotheism by Polytheism and Pantheism. They do not understand, even, the meanings of worship.

Worship means to consider & declare oneself lowly & helpless before a thing or a person and to consider & declare it/him as the omnipotent, the saviour, and the protector.10

When a person prefers someone else upon the Lord and considers him as the saviour, the omnipotent, the protector, like that of the Lord, then, he virtually adopts the way of Satan, leaving aside the path shown by the Lord, the Holy One. Such a person, practically, seeks help/protection/prosperity from the creature instead of the Creator and thereby stamps himself, by his own hands, as an enemy of the Lord, the Holy One.

To seek help or refuge from a person, other than the Lord, considering him as the Omnipotent-Protector OR to pray or beseech before him, for expulsion of some grief or loss, and extension of some relief or gain___ is all and all___ nothing else but the worship. That is the consolidated verdict of Torah (the Law of Moses), Bhagavad-Gita, the Book of Psalms, the Gospels, the Quran and all the Scriptures. People of all the Scriptures should, therefore, resort to their Scriptures and the Message of Monotheism, contained therein. They must realize, in letter and spirit, that Omnipotent-Protector and the Creator is none, but One, the Holy One, alone. And___ worship is meant for the Creator alone___ not for the creature, the prophets, the gods, the goddesses, the idols or so on.

All-Alone Lord means that there is no God beside the All-Alone Lord. This fundamental lesson has been, altogether, forgotten while everyone knows that none on the earth or in heavens or between the both___ is greater than the Lord, the One God. Instead, every creature is lowly and helpless before the Lord.

Besides that, everyone knows that whatsoever is created___ is created by the Lord, alone. Who is the Omnipotent-Protector. Even then, the masses do not establish the pure and pious worship of the Lord. Nor they act upon the Commandments of the Lord. They do act__ but__ upon their self-assumed, satanic ways. They are the servants of Satan___ not of the Lord.

At present stage of human history, when the continued work of the Godly-guidance stands, already, perfected in terms of the long series of prophets and their Scriptures. And__ the Day of Judgement is also at hand. The masses must review, all and all of that, which is being maintained by them; in the name of faith and belief.

The ignorant must pay heed to the Scriptures and the Message of Monotheism, contained therein. Still there is some time for the Repentive Recourse to reform and recognize the actual purpose of life including the actualisation thereof.

Jesus (PBUH) had given this message in his prayer on the cross (The Psalm 22)

“Praise the Lord, you servants of the Lord
Honour the Lord,
You descendants of Jacob
Worship the Lord, you people of Israel.”
(The Psalm 22:23)

It means that praise is meant for the Lord alone. And___ to honour the Lord means to obey the Lord in terms of the Lord’s Commandments and to worship the Lord means to seek help and refuge from the Lord as the Lord is the Omnipotent-Protector alone. And___ that is the sole purpose of human life.
Beware please! The mankind at large___ is not a Jew, nor Hindu, nor Buddhist, nor Christian, nor Muhammadan or so on. Instead all nations and all races are children of Adam (PBUH)___ and the most dignified creature of the Creator__ and the Creator is the Holy One. Who has commanded Adam and his children___ to believe in the Lord’s Absolute Oneness__ and to act, exactly, in accordance with the Lord’s Commandments. Otherwise, on the Day of Judgement___ they will be among no community but the condemned-ones.